Participate and Recruit for Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials British Columbia is committed to enhancing the clinical trial experience by learning from the perspectives of patients and participants, making clinical trials more accessible and beneficial to the public.

Our initiatives focus on improving how people engage with clinical trials — from understanding the risks and benefits to receiving results and staying informed throughout the process.

With REACH BC, we help researchers recruit participants for clinical trials and share their research results back to communities. We also collaborate with organizations like the BC SUPPORT Unit, Clinical Trials Ontario, and Network of Networks (N2) to strengthen participant involvement at every stage of the research process.

Clinical research not only advances science but also gives patients access to promising new treatments and high-quality care. Ensuring a positive participant experience is essential to:

• Encouraging broader participation
• Supporting recruitment and retention
• Improving trust and transparency in research
• Aligning with ethical guidelines and public expectations

REACH BC is a provincial platform that makes it easy for researchers and site administrators to connect with volunteers and patient partners across British Columbia.

Use REACH BC to:

• Recruit participants and partners
• Reach rural and underrepresented communities
• Share your study results

We’ve developed an online toolkit focusing on communication practices that help participants feel more informed and valued, building on the surveys and results of a provincial working group on improving recruitment and retention in clinical trials in BC.

The toolkit consists of:

• Best practice recommendations: clear guidelines with examples on how to enhance communication with participants
• Templates: ready-to-use templates with helpful instructions
• Promotional materials: resources to promote effective communication practices within your organization

By following the recommendations and using the resources, research teams can improve the overall experience of participants, which also leads to higher retention and willingness to participate in research.

The Canadian Clinical Research Participation Survey was a national initiative conducted by Clinical Trials British Columbia. It was designed to learn about the public’s clinical trial experiences, especially those who declined to participate. Any Canadian who had been invited to join or enroll their child in a clinical trial was eligible to take the survey.

The survey was completed in 2018, with 1,000 responses in both French and English. The results showed that many clinical trial participants were left with unanswered questions both during and after the research study. As one participant explained: “I would have liked to have the study follow up to me directly about my results and the results of the overall study.” Another stated: “My experience was incredibly disappointing; I never received the study results.”

Such findings are problematic for three main reasons:

1. Participants feeling dissatisfied with their experiences in research can result in attrition and less willingness to participate in future research.
2. The Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement clearly states that informing participants of the research results is as important as disseminating results to the research community.
3. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research acknowledges that the impact of research on the health care system is directly related to effectively communicating research findings back to knowledge users, including members of the public who may be affected by those findings.

To act on these findings, we convened a 17-member provincial working group that supported better recruitment and retention in clinical trials.

In partnership with Clinical Trials Ontario, we surveyed residents in BC and Ontario in 2015 to understand their perceptions of clinical trial risks, benefits, and participation.

A follow-up survey was conducted in 2023.

• View the 2015 survey results.
• Read more about the 2015 survey.

Following the national Canadian Clinical Research Participation Survey, Clinical Trials British Columbia formed a 17-member provincial working group to support action items that improve recruitment and retention in clinical trials in BC.

Composed of clinical researchers, health system decision makers, patient partners and representatives from health authorities, the group’s primary objective was to identify methods of increasing communication of study results to participants in BC, ultimately creating a more positive culture around clinical research.